DIZZY IN YOUR EYES: POEMS ABOUT LOVE by Pat Mora

Bibliography
Mora, Pat. 2010. Dizzy in Your Eyes: Poems About Love. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 9780375843754
 
Plot Summary
Pat Mora puts together a book of poems about all types and aspects of love: teenage love, love of oneself, love of parents, heartache of divorce from the children’s perspective, and many other topics concerning love. The poems are ordered according to the cycle of love: falling in love, heartache and healing, and falling in love again (Mora 2010, 3). Various poetic forms are explored, and definitions are given for each style. In some cases, there is an explanation of why a certain style is used.

Critical Analysis
Pat Mora’s collection of poems that covers many topics, which include falling in love, divorce, parents, dancing, singing, adoration, old age, and much more, all come back to the central theme of love. This poetry book is organized according to the cyclical nature of love: falling in love, heartache and healing, and back to falling in love again (Mora 2010, 3). Various poetic styles are explored, such as free verse, tercet, couplet, villanelle, tanka, and so forth, with explanations of each style. Some of these explanations and forms may be difficult to understand, but this does not take away from the beauty and message of the poetry. The poems are easy to relate to and apply not only to young adults but to adults as well. Some of the poems will remind one of a distant memory or feeling, while others may apply to some present circumstance. There is something for everyone here. For example, “Weird” captures the fascination a teenager has with a new love. Whereas, “Grandma’s Joke” is about a grandmother reminiscing about proposing to her husband. Many moments and feelings are captured in each poem.

The language used in each poem is reflective of the poetic style. This variance in style and language causes the book to be an exploration of poetry as well as love. For example, “Revenge x 3” is written as a tercet and rhymes. “To-do List” is a numbered list, and a humorous one at that. Another aspect to the poetry that adds to its richness is Pat Mora’s use of the Spanish language. The interchangeable use of Spanish and English throughout the book is a solid cultural marker. The use of Spanish varies and is dependent on the poem’s message. The poem “Spanish” specifically identifies the Hispanic American culture. It explores the difficulty of learning English in school and missing the ability to speak Spanish all the time. “Valentine to Papi” uses the forms of address, Papi and Mami, to mark the culture. It is about an adult daughter reminiscing about dancing with her father at a wedding ten years ago. Not all the poems contain cultural markers, but I feel that this rings true to the theme of love. Love is not culturally specific. For example, “I Can Dance” contains no cultural marker, but it does not have to because it is about the joy of dancing where no one can see. This is universal.

I love this book of poems. The author’s note may be misleading in that it may lead the reader into believing that all the poems deal with teenage love. This is not true. The book is much deeper than this and explores many more facets of love. There are visual graphics as well. There are patterns on the facing page of each poem that at times follow the poem’s message. However, these are so understated that I feel that they just add slight visual interest. The collection can stand on its own without the graphics.     

Awards Won & Review Excerpts

• Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, 2011 - Commended Titles
• Booklist: "The tight structures intensify the strong feelings in the poems, which teens will enjoy reading on their own or hearing aloud in the classroom."
• Kirkus Reviews: "A must read for lovestruck teens, whether they're poets or not."
• Library Media Connection: "Add this if your poetry section needs a little extra something."
• VOYA: "This collection may be used to stimulate young adults to attempt their own poetry and could easily be employed as a classroom tool."

Connections

• Pick a poetic style and try writing an original poem in that style.
• Find other poems written in the poetic styles showcased in this book.
• Other collections of poems about love:

          Soto, Gary. Partly Cloudy: Poems of Love and Longing. ISBN 9780152063016
          Grimes, Nikki. Hopscotch Love: A Family Treasury of Love Poems.
          ISBN 0688156673
          Holbrook, Sara and Allan Wolf. More Than Friends: Poems From Him and Her.
          ISBN 9781590785874